Feed regulator for stripping machines



Oct. 31, 1933- E. M. BRACKETT ET AL FEED REGULATOR FOR STRIPPING MACHINES Filed May" 25, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet l l N VEN TOR.

a a Z flu M0 am Z w dk [0 ATTORNEY.

Oct. 31, 1933. E. M. BRACKETT ET AL 1,932,506

FEED REGULATOR FOR STRIPPING MACHINES Filed May 25, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 v INVENTOR. fan a/d Mina/eff By fl/f/VM flaw/f? 9 A TTORNE Y.

Get. 31, 1933. B K -r ET AL 1,932,506

FEED REGULATOR FOR STRIPPING MACHINES Filed May 25, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 A TTORNE Y.

Oct 1933. E. M. BRACKETT ET AL FEED REGULATOR FOR STRIPPING MACHINES Filed May 25. 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 ATTORNEY.

structed in accordance with our invention.

' a supporting frame 3, a strip applying mechanism Patented Oct. 31, 1933 UNITED STA FEED REGULATOR FOR STRIPPING MACHINES Edward M. Brackett and Dietrich Daneke, Topeka, Kaila, assignors to The Brackett Stripping Machine Company, Topeka, Kans., a co-partnership consisting of Edward M. Brackett and Fred M. Brackett Application May 25, 1932. Scria1No.61?,431

12 Claims. (01. 27135) pieces against the rollers 12 in order that they may be moved by the belt in a straight path with the side edges thereof extending parallel with the line of travel.

Located opposite to the last roller 12 of the se-' ries is a post 14. extending upwardly from the feed table on which is mounted an arm 15 carrying a roller 16 which cooperates with the last named roller to form a throat for retaining the tablets in alignment with'the regulator'later described, the roller 16 being adjustable relatively to the roller 12 to substantially the width of the tablets.

Supported by posts 17 and 18 carried by the frame of the feed table is a laterally extending shelf 19 on which the work pieces 20 are stored preparatory to their manual placement on the feed belt by the operator of the machine.

As above indicated the construction thus far described is ,a conventional type of stripping machine and specificallyforms no part of the present invention, but is illustrated to better define the relation and operation of the feed regulating attachment that is associated therewith, In stripping machines of'this type the operator starts the machine and shifts a-clutch lever 21 to give the desired speed for operatingthe belt 7. He then places the tablets-one after another on the belt 7, attempting'to leave a space 22 therebetween to allow passage of'the knife (not shown) of the stripping machine; I

Placing of the work pieces on the belt requires a highly skilled operator in order that they may be fed to the full capacity of the stripping machine. If the operator isslow in placing the tablets, the spacing 22 will be relatively wide which not only limits the output below the capacity of the machine, but results in wastage of binding strip; also, ifthe spacings are too narrow they do not give sufficient room for the knife, and the knife, in making its cutfthrough the'binding strip, damages the ends of the tablets.

It is obvious, therefore, that the ideal feed of the tablets is'at such a ratewith relation to the "operation of the strip applying mechanism that the spacings 22 between the respective tablets are at aminimum and just sufiicient to allow free passage of the knife without damage to the work. With this ideal condition 'it is obvious that a greater number of work pieces may be passed through the stripping machine in a given length of time.

We have, therefore, provided a feed regulating attachment for the stripping machine thus described whereby the tablets may be placed upon This invention relates to stripping machines for books, tablets and the like, and more particularly to a feed regulator therefor, and has for its principal object to provide automatic spacing of the work pieces in order that they may be delivered to the stripping mechanism at a speed and space interval corresponding to the maximum capacity of the machine; a

In accomplishing this and other objects of the invention, we have provided improved details of structure, the preferred form of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the feed table of ',a conventional type of stripping flmachine equipped with a feed regulating attachment con- 76 Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the rear side of the feed regulator.

Fig. 3 is a vertical, sectional view through the feed regulator illustrating passage of one tablet and'another moving into position to be stopped thereby.

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the front side of the feed regulator.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 3, but illustrating a tablet detained by the stop plate.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the feed regulator.

Fig. 7 is aside elevational view of the feed regulator particularly illustrating the presser wheel.

Fig. 8 is an elevational view of the two speed clutch for controlling speed of the'feed belt.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:-

1 designates a conventional type of stripping machine which includes a bed plate 2 carried by generally designated 5 that is adjustably positioned relatively to the bed plate, in standards 4., and a feed table 6 having an endless feed belt '7 for delivering the work pieces or tablets 8 to the strip applying mechanism.

The feed belt 7 operates over a pulley 9 carried by the side frames 10 of the feed table adjacent the end of the bed plate, and over a pulley 11 carried by the opposite end of the frame and arranged so that the upper run of the belt operates over the table in the direction of the strip applying mechanism.

Supported by the side frame member 10 on the right hand side of the machine, Fig. 1, is a plurality of vertically arranged rollers 12 forming guides for aligning the longitudinal edges of the tablets with the stripping mechanism. Supported at the opposite side of the feed table are yielding guide plates 13 for retaining the work the feed belt in overlapped formation and delivered thereby toward the stripping mechanism, but will be retarded by the regulating device and automatically fed to the stripping mechanisrn with uniform space intervals between the work pieces, that is, the successive tablets are detained until the preceding tablet has cleared the regulating mechanism, whereupon the next tablet "is released to follow the first.

The regulating device is supported from the standard 4 on a laterally extending Z-shaped bracket 23 having a flange 24 attached to the side face of the standard by bolts 25 and having a parallel offset flange 26 extending over the feed belt substantially in line with the travel of the work pieces. The flange 26 is provided on its forward face with a vertically extending guide groove 2'7 for slidably supporting the guide rib 23 forming a part of a stop plate 29.

The stop plate 29 includes a vertically arranged member supported transversely of the belt and provided at its lower end witlra series of depend-. ing fingers 30 forming stops for the upper work pieces as they are fed toward the stripping mechanism as later described.

The guide rib includes a bar member of substantially the same cross sectional dimensions as the guide groove 27, and is secured to the median line of the plate 29 by screws 31 and 32, the screws extending through openings 33 in the plate and into threaded openings 34 in the guide. rib so that the guide rib is permanently attached to the rear face of the plate. The upper end of the guide I rib is bent laterally to form an ear 35 provided with a threaded opening 36. Threaded through the opening is an adjusting screw 37 having its end engaging against the upper face of the flange 26 whereby the stop plate may be moved to and I from the upper surface of the belt.

. 38 includes a threaded shank portion 41 extending through a slot 42 arranged vertically in the flange 26 in parallel relation with the guide groove 27.

Sleeved overthe threaded end of the stud 41 is a washer 43. and threaded thereagainst is a wing nut 44 for clamping the stop plate to the bracket after it has been moved to adjusted position,.as later described: I

Secured to the lower end of the stop plate at a point spaced above the fingers 30 is a U-shaped yoke 45 which includes a horizontal bar portion lying flat against the rear face of the plate and is provided with openingsthrough which bolts 46 are extended to secure the yoke to the plate. The length. of the bar portionof the yoke is longer than the width of the plate and terminates in forwardly extending arms 47 and 43 having their I ends connected and spaced apart by a rod 49., The

ends-of the arms 47. and 48 arepreferably cut at an anglefin the direction of the fingers 30. Pivotally supported below the rod 49.i s a rectangularshaped bar 50 extendingparallel with the rod 49.

The bar 50 is provided with trunnions 51 pivotally mounted in openings 52 formed in the arms.

The presser 40v includes a substantially rectangular-shaped plate having its forward edge fixed to. and carried by the under face of the bar 50 by suitable fastening devices 53, andits. opposite edge is provided with spacedfingers 54-adapted to move vertically in the slots 55 formed between the I fingers 30v previously described. The fingers 54 are curved upwardly at their forward ends so that they will ride smoothly on top of the tablets as they are being fed to the stripping mechanism.

Fixed to the upper face of the plate 40 is an ear 56 having an opening 5? therein for receiving the end of a suspension rod 58. The upper end of the rod 58 extends through an opening 59 formed in the ear 33 and is suspendingly retained therein by lock nuts 60 and 61 threaded on the rod.

In order that the presser plate may be yieldingly retained against the tablets as they are fed thereunder, we provide a coil spring 62 having one endbearing against the under face of the ear 39 and its opposite end against a collar 63 fixed to the rod at a point above the ear 56.

To retain the work pieces in driving contact with the belt, we provide a presser wheel 64 adapted to operate adjacent the stop plate and directly over the edge of the work pieces which contacts the guide rollers 12 previously described. The wheel 64 is rotatably mounted on a stud'65 carried at'the free end of an arm 66 which is pivotally mounted on a standard 67 carried. by the side frame of the feed table, as best illustrated in Fig. 7. The pivot end of the arm 66 is provided with a hub 68 in which is secured a laterally extending stud 69 rotatably supported in laterally therefrom, as best illustrated in Figs. 6 V

and '7. Thelowermost spring is retained in sliding engagement with the pin by a loop 74 having one end fixed in the arm and the. opposite end in the terminal of the pin 73. The sleeve carrying the spring is adjustably fixed relatively to the standard 6'? by a thumb screw '75 in order that the proper amount of tension may be applied tothe pressing wheel.

In using an attachment constructed and assembled as described, the stop plate is first .ad-

justed to the thickness of. the tablets by'loosem ing thawing nut '44 and adjustingthe screw 38 to raise or lower the plate so that thebottom edges 76 of the fingers .39 just clear the upper face of the tablets to permit the tablets to pass thereunder one at a time. It is thus apparent that the overlapped tablets will be stopped by the fingers until the lower tablet has been carried on tothe strip applying mechanism and entirely passed from under the detained tablet.

in adjusted position. The presser plate 49 is then adjusted to apply the proper amount of tension .on the upper face of the tablets by adjusting the collar 63. The machine is then started and the pulley 9 is adjusted to the proper speed byshifb ing the lever 21. the storage shelf in convenient reach of the operator. The operator stands alongside the feed The wing nut 44. is then tightened to retain the plate A stack of tablets is placedon table and places the tablets on the belt in overlapped formation two or three at a time. The :i: weight of the tablets on the belt moves them toward the regulating'device. The lowermost tablet will pass directly undergthe stop fingers plate and the presser wheel 64 and is stopped by the fingers 3 0, as is'illustrated'in Fig. 5. This tablet is then detainecl'thereby until the lowermost tablet has been fed from underneath the stop finger.

30 and is delivered to the strip. applying mechanism, but the next tablet engages the presser At this time the presser wheel, aided by .the pressure of the spring 62, will'move the detained tablet into direct contact with'the delivery belt which will forward it into the machine following the tablet previously delivered. The presser plate follows the tablet and holds the leaves thereof so that they are not liable to catch on the depending end of the fingers 30, when the tablet is forwarded by the feed belt.

The next tablet will likewise engage the stop plate, where it will be detained until the preceding tablet has been completely delivered to the feeding apparatus.

It is thus apparent that the spacing between the tablets is uniform and may be adjusted by varying the pressure of the spring 62 as Well as the pressure of the presser wheel which controls the time that the end of the tablet which abuts the stop plate is moved downwardly to clear the finger 54 and into contact with the feeder belt. The tablets are, therefore, fed in a uniform manner with equal space intervals between them regardless of the number or rate at which they are placed on the feeder belt by the operator, so that 25 the feed of the tablets is maintained to supply the maximum capacity of the stripping machine.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with a conveyor for feeding work pieces in overlapped formation, a stop member supported above the conveyor and spaced therefrom to allow the work pieces to pass one at a time and to detain the upper work piece until the lower work piece has cleared said stop' 35 member, a presser plate, and means yieldingly mounting the presser plate relatively to the stop member for press ng the upper work piece downwardly into contact with the conveyor when the lower work piece has cleared the-stop member and yieldable to allow a succeeding work piece to engage the stop member. p

2. In combination with a conveyor for feeding work pieces in overlapped formation, a stop member positioned above the conveyor and spaced therefrom to pass the Work pieces one at a time, a presser plate pivotally supported in front of the stop member, means yieldingly engaging the presser plate to move the presser plate against the work pieces, and a presser wheel cooperating with the presser plate for moving the upper work pieces into contact with the conveyor.

3. In combination with a conveyor for feeding work pieces in overlapped formation, a stop plate having depending fingers spaced above the conveyor to pass the work pieces one at a time, a presser plate pivoted to the stop plate and having fingers movable between the fingers on the stop plate to move the upper work pieces into contact with the conveyor when the lower work piece has cleared the stop plate.

4. In combination with a conveyor for feeding work pieces in overlapped formation, a stop plate having depending fingers spaced above the conveyor to pass the work pieces one at a time, a

presser plate pivoted to the stop plate and'having fingers movable between the fingers on the stop plate to move the upper work pieces into contact with the conveyor when the lower work piece has cleared the stop plate, and a presser wheel associated with the conveyor and operating upon the work pieces for pressing the work pieces into contact with the conveyor.

5. In combination with a conveyor for feeding work pieces, a stop member supported above the conveyor and spaced therefrom to allow the work pieces to pass one at a time and to detain the remaining work pieces'until the first 'work piece has cleared said stop member, a presser. plate pivotally supported on the stop member for moving the upper work pieces into contact with the conveyor and spring tensioned means engaging the presser plate for yieldingly retaining said plate in engagement with the work pieces.

6. In combination with a conveyor for feeding tablets to a stripping machine, a stop member positioned above the conveyor and spaced therefrom to pass the tablets one at a time, a presser wheel cooperating with the stop member for moving the upper work pieces into contact with the conveyor, and a hinged member associated with thestop member for pressing leaves of the tablets so that they will clear the stop member.

7. In combination with a conveyor for feeding tablets in overlapped formation, means supported above the conveyor and spaced therefrom to allow the work pieces to pass one at a time and to detain the upper tablets until the lowermost tablet has cleared said stop member, a presser plate associated with the stop member for moving the upper tablet into contact with the conveyor, and spring tensioned means engaging the presser plate for yieldingly retaining thepresser plate in engagement with the work pieces.

8. In combination with a conveyor for feeding work pieces in overlapped formation, a stop plate having depending fingers spaced above the conveyor, means for adjusting the stop plate relatively to the conveyor to pass the work pieces one at a time, a presser member pivoted to the stop plate and having fingers movable between 119 the fingers on the stop plate to move the upper work pieces into contact with the conveyor when the lower work piece has cleared the stop plate, and means for yieldingly tensioning the presser member.

9. In combination with a conveyor for feeding work pieces in overlapped formation, a stop plate having depending fingers adjustably supported above the conveyor to pass the work pieces one at a time, a presser plate pivotally associated with the stop plate and having fingers movable between the fingers on the stop plate to move the upper work pieces into contact with the conveyor, and a presser wheel associated with the conveyor and operating upon the work pieces for pressing the work pieces into contact with the belt.

10. In combination with a feed table, a belt operable over the feed table for moving work pieces in overlapping formation, a stop plate having depending fingers spaced above the conveyor to pass the work pieces one at a time, a presser plate pivoted to the stop plate and having fingers movable between the fingers on the stop plate to move the upper work pieces into contact with the belt when the lower work piece has cleared the stop plate.

11. In combination with a feed table, a belt operable over the feed table for moving work pieces in overlapped formation, a stop plate having depending fingers spaced above the belt to pass the work pieces one at a time, a presser plate pivoted to the stop plate and having fingers movable between the fingers on the stop plate to move the upper work pieces into contact with the belt when the lower work piece has cleared the stop plate, and a presser wheel associated with the conveyor and operating upon the work pieces for pressing the work pieces into contact with the belt.

12. In combination with a stripping machine in- 150 Lac) ing the presser wheel from the table adjacent said rollers for moving the tablets into contact with the belt, and a hinge member associated with thestop member for pressing leaves of the tabletsso that they will clear the stop member.

EDWARD M. BRACKETT. DIETRICI-I 

